Exposé Online banner

Exposé Online

Not just outside the box, but denying the existence of boxes.
Covering music from the fringes since 1993.

Reviews

Harv — Polka Raggioso
(NorthSide NSD6083, 2005, CD)

by Jon Davis, Published 2006-05-01

Polka Raggioso Cover art

It’s been a few years since we last heard from the “cute Swedish boys” of Harv — don’t blame me, that’s how they’re marketed. With Töst in 2002 the fiddle duo of Magnus Stinnerbom and Daniel Sandén-Warg grew to a four-piece by the addition of acoustic guitar and percussion, and that’s where we remain, though the guitar chair is now filled with the ever-busy Roger Tallroth (also of Väsen, Annbjørg Lien’s band, and probably others). Percussionist Christian Svensson continues with the band, playing a small non-traditional kit of things he hits to fit the rhythms. The fiddling is stellar, as ever, with melodies that manage to be energetic and lilting at the same time. I noticed a bit more accordion this time around (courtesy of Stinnerbom), though the violins remain the chief focus. Tallroth is a great fit for the band’s style, with his trademark fusion of Nordic folk and modern touches. It’s getting hard to say much new about the steady stream of quality music coming out of the Nordic region by way of the NorthSide label. Suffice it to say that Polka Raggioso is a fine addition to the genre, and a reasonable place for a newcomer to start.

Filed under: New releases, Issue 33, 2005 releases

Related artist(s): Harv

 

What's new

These are the most recent changes made to artists, releases, and articles.